The Portland daily press., 1887-05-03
In the House of Commons.

IN Ine house OF commons tonight Mr.
Healy moved that the first clause of the
crimes bill be so amended as to indicate
clearly to what portions of Ireland the bill
would be applicable. He suggested that the
words proclaimed districts" be omitted
and that Kerry, Londonderry and Belfast"
be inserted in their stead.
Mr.. BalfOur, chief secretary for Ireland.
declined to accede to this proposal He said
the goyei nment intended to apply the clause
to all parts Of Ireland where the prevalence
OF crime justified such action.
Mr. Healy asked II blood-stained Belfast,
where troops had been shot and policemen
murdered was to 60 free while the miserable
rack-rented districts in the southwest were
to be punished.
Mr.. Balfour replied that the government
would exercise perfect impartiality in sup
pressing disorder everywhere.
Mr.. Lab0uchere said the scope and aim Of
the Dill was TO crush out the NatiOnalists
leaving the Orangemen to do ANYTHING they
ike. The administration of law was so
bound up with the Orange faction that it
could not be impartial.
Mr.. Gladstone suggested that the words
proclaimed districts" remain, but that the
districts be defined under the other clauses
OF the Dill. The answer of BalfOur that all
districts would be treated impartially was
not sufnclent, because the minister had often
referred 10 particular parts of Ireland where
the bill was meant to operate. No doutt the
people OF Belfast regarded with disgust and
horror the prevalence iof disorder in their
midst. but the same apology was equally
good for other districts. [''Hear."l The con-
duct Of some persons in Belfast recently
stained the name Of Ireland more than the
conduct OF the people Of any other part OF
ireland had. [Cheers.l
Lord Randolph Churchill said that the
suggestion Mr.. Gladstone had made might
have been valuable, but its value had been
destroyed by the raising Of points which
were calculated to lead to a controversy.
Mr.. Gladstone had made himself party TO
the insinuation that the government intend
ed to apply the clause only to certain parts
Of ireland, and leave Belfast out There
had been disorder in Belfast, but the law
had not been arrested. There was no analo-
gy between the riots in Belfast and the
"mO0nlighting" in Kerry, for which not a
single person had been made amenable to
Justice; No. one would venture to
assert that juries lin the North of Ireland
had failed to do their duty, as was often the
case with jnries in the South Of Ireland. To
put the diab0lical outrages of the South of.
Ireland. as Gladstone did, on the same level
as the disturbances in Belfast, was to con-
done and apologize for those outrages.
The amendment proposed by Mr.. Healy
that an inquiry be held only when evidence
has been withheld on account of intimida-
tlon, was rejected by vote of 206 to no.
after discussion that lasted an hour and a
half
Mr.. Healy then moved that the high court.
not the attorney general, be empowered to
order an inquiry
Mr.. Gibson, solicitor general for Ireland,
replied that the government was unable to
accept the amendment.
Mr.. Gladstone, rising to reply to the state
ment by MIR. Elliott that he (GladstOne) was
responsible for an equally strong system of
five years ago, said that Mr.. Elliott over
looked an essential difference, namely, that
his hill had ham
while the enc under discussion was not.
lCries Of "Ohl ohp'l At least, he added
the present bill was directed against acts
that had not hitherto been considered
crimes. Anyway, he would renew his for
mer proposals because he was convinced that
they aggravated the evil.
Mr.. Holdane, Homerule Liberal, proposed
to substitute Judge" for "high court" and
Mr.. Healy assented.
The discussion being continued, Mr..
Smith, first lord of the treasury, amid cries
OF shame" moved to enforce the clvture
rule. The motion was carried by vote of
257 to 1876.
Mr.. Gladstone and other opposition lead
ers walked slowly into the opposition lobby,
while the Parnellites and Gladstonians stood
cheering wildly.
Mr.. Healy's amendment was then rejected
by vote of 261 to 142.
Mr.. Nolan moved to report progress on the
bill.
w. H. oHlltn Salu tHe government was una
BILE to agree to this because only nine OF the
140 amendments to the first clause had been
disposed Of Later, however. progress was
reported.
BRUSSELS, May 2-Advices from st. Pet
ersburg say that after fortnight's quietude
the country Is again in a state Of ureasiness
Large armaments are being pushed forward
with feverish activity. An .Order Of the war
minister points to the concentration of great
masses Of troops on the frontiers of Russia.
BORDEAUX, May Prince Jerome Bona
parte has had an attack Of apoplexy and is
in dangerous condition.